This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Tyson Foods, Inc. All opinions are entirely my own.

This Dump-and-Bake Chicken and Zucchini NoodlesRecipe is an easy casserole that gives you all of the cozy comfort that you crave in a high-protein, grain-free, and low-calorie dish!

I’ve got a love-hate relationship with zucchini noodles. On one hand, I’m always happy to find another tasty way to sneak some more veggies into my family’s diet. On the other hand, let’s not kid ourselves: they’re just not the same as a starchy, carb-tastic, gluten-full pasta!

While I don’t think that “zoodles” are an equal substitute for a traditional pasta, I do think that they can be incorporated into our diets in fun and different ways. The key is just to manage expectations: think of them as a veggie, not as a starchy noodle!

I have traditionally served zucchini noodles as a sautéed side dish instead of as a pasta substitute…until now!

After many rounds of testing (and some true kitchen “fails”), I have finally figured out how to take advantage of spiralized veggies in the form of a cozy casserole, and I can’t wait to fill you in on all of the details!

This particular zucchini noodles recipe is a great way to use vegetables in a lighter, lower-calorie dish, while still maintaining some of the familiar flavors that you love from your favorite hearty pasta dishes!

And since you know that I love an easy dump-and-bake dinner that doesn’t require too much prep work, too many dishes, or too much time babysitting a pan, this Chicken and Zucchini Noodles recipe is the perfect solution!

I took advantage of kitchen shortcuts like store-bought zucchini noodles, pre-minced fresh garlic, shredded cheese, and Tyson®️ Grilled and Ready®️ Frozen Chicken in Grilled Chicken Breast Strips, for a meal that comes together quickly on our busiest nights.

I have discovered that the key to just about any successful zucchini noodles recipe is to let the zucchini sit with salt in a colander for about 10 minutes to draw out as much liquid as possible.

Then squeeze the excess water out of the zucchini with a dish towel so that you don’t have a watery mess in your casserole at the end (trust me — I’ve been there)!

That said, it’s natural for zucchini to release some additional liquid as it bakes, so you will definitely end up with a little bit broth in your casserole when it’s done. Remember, we’re using veggies here — not starchy pasta! For that reason, I like to serve my zoodles with tongs or with a slotted spoon.

This warm, comforting, one-dish meal is the simple solution to your family’s more wholesome New Year’s resolutions — and you don’t have to spend all day in the kitchen!

Instructions

Place zucchini noodles in a colander, toss with 3/4 teaspoon salt, and allow to sit for about 10 minutes (this will help draw out some of the water from the zucchini). After 10 minutes, squeeze out moisture from the zucchini. I like to put the zucchini in a dish towel and wring out as much excess water as possible by gently squeezing the zucchini through the towel.

In a large bowl, whisk together garlic, condensed soup, and milk. Add zucchini noodles and diced chicken; stir to combine.

Hi, Cynthia! I find them in the produce section at most of the grocery stores where I shop (with the exception of my small rural grocery store in Madison). I pick them up at Harris Teeter, Kroger, Whole Foods, or Martin’s. 🙂

This was very good!!! I ended up halving the recipe. I used 1 13 oz can of chicken as that is what I had on hand. I had two small zucs that I needed to use up and it was perfect. Thank you for a yummy AND easy recipe.

It was delicious!! I made it with the golden mushroom soup instead since it was the one that I had in my pantry and I added about a tablespoon of cilantro since it’s growing like crazy in our garden. My husband literally lick the plate HAHA! Thank you so much for sharing with us!

Sounds delicious!! The sodium is sky high!! That’s probably from the Tyson chicken. If you grill your own (I know defeats the quick and easy) it will lower that sodium number. Also, I’m looking for a substitute for the cream of mushroom soup. I am unable to do any dairy or processed foods of any kind. Very rarely do I get away with quick and easy meals 👎🏽🤷🏻‍♀️😢Any ideas for that cream of mushroom soup and milk?

AMAZING!!!!😍 I am a veggie hater. I tried doing the keto diet, and lasted about 3 weeks and had to give in lightly to carbs and something other than water! Lol. I had a package of zucchini noodles in the freezer, a bunch of frozen chicken breast, lucky me i had the broth in the pantry. But not the cheese!!! I only have shredded Mexican blend. Then 5 mozzarella string cheese tlin the fridge. So i made it work!! I dont like the taste of zucchini, but complemented everything SO WELL!!. I’m amazed at how much i enjoyed it (: thank you for sharing your recipe!!

I am a 49 year old male, living in the Bronx NY, learning how to cook to help my wife who is disabled. I looked up some quick recipes for chicken, and this popped up. WOW, what a meal!!! I am hooked on to you, and will be following more of your recipes. Than you Blair!!!

Hi, David! Thank you so much for your kind note! It brings me so much joy to hear that my recipes might be helping you to get dinner on the table for you and your wife. Kudos for you to getting in the kitchen and learning something new! Enjoy the recipes. 🙂

This is my first attempt at a zoodle recipe and it was so good! I am by no means a veggie kind of person nor is my family but, alas, this is also my first year growing zucchini in my garden and I had 2 medium sized beauties just begging to be used in a zoodle recipe. This particular recipe fit the bill. I did modify the recipe somewhat based loosely on what another person said who also used just 2 zucchini. I also purchased a $10 handheld Vegetti spiralizer at Walmart which I used to make the zoodles. Armed with the info of how much water these zucchini will put off, I let my zoodles sit in a colander after tossing with salt for over an hour. I also periodically blotted with numerous paper towels and, finally, I pressed still more water out by pressing in a clean dish towel. After all this blotting, the final casserole still has some wetness which can be lessened even more by broiling the cheese at the end until it is golden brown. I roughly halved the seasonings, the milk, and the cheese called for plus I used a large can of shredded chicken plus a small can too in the mixture. With the 2 medium spiralized zucchini, this mixture fit well into an 8×8 baking pan. Honestly, I didn’t have high hopes or any expectations at all about this dish but I was very pleasantly surprised, as was my family. I am a very picky eater and mostly grow things in my garden that I like to eat. ( think, lots and lots of bell peppers and lettuce) This, however, is a wonderful alternative to high calorie, high carb pasta. You genuinely can’t taste the difference and the texture of the “noodle” is so much like angel hair pasta that you just can’t tell that’s not what you’re eating. Your waistline sure can though! 2 medium zucchini weigh in at about 60 calories with minimal net carbs vs traditional pasta which is loaded with calories and carbs. Smart choice made easy with this great recipe! Thanks so much for sharing it!

My kids loved this recipe. They are 5 and 3 years old. I’m not sure they noticed it was veggie pasta (although they saw the zoodles when I made them, they didn’t even blink and dug right in when it was dinner time). I did sub in cream of chicken soup because it’s what I had, and I used heavy cream because I wanted to ensure it wasn’t too watery. It was a completely legit substitution! hahaha There were no leftovers! Thank you so much for creating such a fantastic recipe!